Decal applying

ABSTRACT

A METHOD OF TRANSFERRING OR APPLYING A DECAL OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A WATER SOLUBLE GLUE OR SIMILAR SOLUBLE ADHESIVE TO A SURFACE OF AN ARTICLE TO BE DECORATED. SUCH DECAL IS DISPOSED AGAINST A GENERALLY FLAT SURFACE OF A FIRST OF A PAIR OF COMPLEMENTALLY COOPERATIVE MEMBERS AND IS HERE THERETO BY VACUUM WHILE SUCH MEMBER AND THE DECAL ARE DIPPED INTO A CONTAINER OF WATER OR OTHER SOLVENT SUITABLE FOR DISSOLVING THE SPECIFIC ADHESIVE EMPLOYED IN THE DECAL. THE BACKING PAPER OF THE DECAL IS THEN REMOVED THEREFROM. SAID SURFACE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER IS THEN DISPOSED AGAINST AN ANNULAR SURFACES OF THE SECOND MEMBER OF SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS, SUCH SURFACE SURROUNDING THE ENTRANCE TO A CAVITY IN THE SECOND MEMBER IN WHICH SAID ARTICLE IS DISPOSED WITH THE SURFACE THEREOF TO BE DECORATED FACING THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVITY. PRESSURIZED AERIFORM   FLUID IS THEN SUPPLIED TO THE TRANSFER FILM OF THE DECAL AND VACUUM IS SUPPLIED TO SAID CAVITY TO CAUSE THE TRANSFER OF THE FILM AND ITS ASSOCIATED DECORATION TO SAID SURFACE OF SAID ARTICLE.

Jan. 12,A 41971 R. w. BENNETT ETAL 3,554,834

DECAL APPLYING Filed July 24, 1968 i 2 sheets-sheet 1 To suRcL-l F A'ro souRcE l0F VACUUM 2426 /f/ "E \\y mm n m le BY @m- L, Jw/f AGENT Jan. l12, 1971 R.,w. BENNETT ET AL 3,554,334

I DECAL APPLYING Filed July 24, 1968 2`sheets-sheet a To SOURCE 0F 27 PREssuRlzED AERIFORM FLUID NVENTORS. iobfer` W. Bennett Wende/l S. B/anding United States Patent O 3,554,834 DECAL APPLYING Robert W. Bennett, Corning, and Wendell S. Blanding, Painted Post, N.Y., assiguors to Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 24, 1968, Ser. No. 747,260 Int. Cl. B44c 1/16 U.S. Cl. 156-230 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A method of transferring or applying a decal of the type including a water soluble glue or similar soluble adhesive to a surface of an article to be decorated. Such decal is disposed against a generally flat surface of a first of a pair of complementally cooperative members and is held thereto by vacuum while such member and the decal are dipped into a container of Water or other solvent suitable for dissolving the specific adhesive employed in the decal. The backing paper of the decal is then removed therefrom. Said surface of said first member is then disposed against an annular surface of the second member of said pair of members, such surface surrounding the entrance to a cavity in the second member in which said article is disposed with the surface thereof to be decorated facing the entrance to the cavity. Pressurized aeriform fluid is then' supplied to the transfer film of the decal and vacuum is supplied to said cavity to cause the transfer of the film and its associated decoration to said surface of said article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the art of decalcomania or applying or transferring the transfer films of decals of the type employing soluble glues or adhesives to surfaces to be decorated. The invention is especially useful in transferring or applying the transfer films of decals of the type mentioned to concave surfaces Without blisters or wrinkles in said films following the transfer thereof to said surfaces.

.The transfer or application of decals to surfaces to be decorated has heretofore usually been performed by hand with the aid of a squeegee or similar device to remove blisters and wrinkles from the transfer films of the decals following the transfer thereof to said surfaces. 'It is especially diilicult to manually transfer or apply decals to concave surfaces, such as the inner surfaces of dishes or similar dish-shaped articles, without blisters or wrinkles remaining in the decal Where it contacts the curved and sloping portions of the concave surfaces. Such manual transfer or application of decals to surfaces of articles to be decorated is also uneconomical and, therefore, the method of the present invention -was developed to provide for more economical and improved decoration of articles by the use of decals or the art of decalcomania.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In practicing the invention, there is employed a decal comprising, in'layers, a backing paper or support member, a transfer film including on a portion of one surface thereof a decoration or design, and a soluble glue or similar adhesive between said one surface of said transfer film and one of the surfaces of said backing paper for temporarily holding said transfer film and decoration to the backing paper. `The transfer film of such decal is disposed against a generally flat surface of a first of a pair of complementally cooperative members and the decal is held against said surface by vacuum applied through such first member to said transfer film. The first member and the supported decal are then dipped into a suitable container of solvent to loosen or dissolve said soluble glue or adhesive. The backing paper is thereafter stripped or removed Patented Jan. 12, 1971 ICE from the remainder of the decal. Said second member of said pair of members embodies a cavity having an entrance defined by an annular rim which is cooperative with said flat surface of said first member to provide a hermetic relationship therebetween. An article having a surface which is to be decorated with said decal is disposed in said cavity with such surface facing the entrance of the cavity. Following the above-mentioned removal of the backing paper from the decal, said first member and the decal are disposed against said annular rim of the second member in said hermetic relationship and the vacuum applied through said first member to said transfer film is terminated. Vacuum is then supplied through said second member to said cavity while air at atmospherid pressure is admitted through said first member to contact said transfer film and cause such film and its supported decoration to be transferred or applied to said surface of said article. Alternatively pressurized aeriform fluid may be supplied through said first member to cause the desired transfer of the transfer film and its supported decoration or, as a further alternative, a combination of vacuum and pressurized aeriform fluid may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 comprises a cross-sectional elevational view of apparatus and a decal used in practicing the invention and illustrates a first step in accordance with the method embodyin-g the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrating additional apparatus employed and a further step in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and illustrating a -third step in accordance with the method of the invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown in FIG. l a decal 10 including a backing paper 11, a stretchable transfer film 12, a decoration or design v13 on a portion of one surface of the transfer film, and a layer of soluble glue or similar adhesive 14 between said one surface of the transfer film and the surface of the backing paper on which the remainder of the decal is supported. Such decal is supported on and against a generally flat surface 20 of a member 19 as discussed hereinafter.

The above-mentioned member 19, including said generally flat surface 20, preferably, but not necessarily, includes an annular gasket 21 of a resilient and hermetic material which forms a rim portion of surface 20 and is considered a part of such flat surface. A first passage `19a is provided in member 19 at approximately the center of such member and extends through such member and said surface 20 thereof. A pair of annular channels 20a and 2011 are provided in surface 20 of member 19 and respectively surround passage 19a in such member at generally uniform distances from such passage. A second passage 19b extends through member 19 and opens into said channel 20a in surface 20 of member 1'9. Channels 20a and 2Gb are connected With each other by channels such as 20c. Passage 19b is threaded and a cooperatively threaded end of a conduit 24 is screwed into such passage. The other end of conduit 24 `is connected in any convenient manner to one end of a flexible conduit 25. The second end of such flexible conduit is at times connected to a source of negative pressure or vacuum, such source not being shown in the drawings for purposes of simplification thereof.

The outer end of passage 19a in member 19 may be left open to atmosphere but may, if4 found desirable or necessary, be connected to a source of pressurized aeriform liuid as illustrated in FIG. 3. In the latter event, passage 19a is threaded and one end of a cooperatively threaded conduit 26 is screwed into such passage. The other end of conduit 26 is connected in any convenient manner to a first end of a fiexible conduit 27 and the second end of such flexible conduit is connected to said source of pressurized fiuid which is not shown in the drawings for the purpose of simplification thereof.

There is also shown in FIG. l of the drawings a suitable tank or container 30 of water or other solvent into which member 19 and decal 10 are, as indicated by the arrow above the surface of the solvent contained in tank 30, dipped in practicing the method of the invention disclosed. This will be further discussed hereinafter in the description.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, there is shown a member 16 embodying a cavity 17 having a greater depth and diameter than the corresponding dimensions of a dish 15 disposed therein and upon whose upper or concave surface the previously-mentioned decal is to be transferred or applied. Member 16 includes an annular rim 18 which surrounds cavity 17 at the entrance end of such cavity. Such annular rim 18 of member 16 is complementally cooperative with the brim portion of surface 20 of member 19 in a hermetic relationship therewith as hereinafter further discussed.

A threaded passage 16a extends through member 16 and opens into cavity 17. A cooperatively threaded end of a conduit 22 is screwed into the threads in passage 16a and the other end of such conduit is connected to the rst end of a liexible conduit 23 in any convenient manner. The other end of conduit 23 is at times connected to the previously-mentioned source of vacuum or Degau tive pressure as hereinafter further discussed.

In practicing the inventive method disclosed, an article to be decorated is disposed in cavity 17 in member 16. Such article is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as being a dish upon whose upper or concave surface a decal is to be transferred or applied. A decal 10 such as shown in cross-section in FIG. 1 is provided, such decal having a transfer film 12 and a backing paper 11 of sizes larger than the entrance into cavity 17 and such that the transfer film 12 may, therefore, be disposed between at least a portion of the areas of the surfaces of the annular rim portions 18 and 21 of members 16 and 19, respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. l, transfer film 12 of decal 10 is disposed against the generally fiat surface of member 19 and vacuum is then supplied through conduits 25 and 24 to annular channel 20a and thence, through the channels such as 20c, to annular channel 2Gb. Such vacuum draws the transfer film into firm contact with surface 20 of member 19 and such film and the remainder of decal 10 are, thereby, firmly supported on and against surface 20. Member 19 and decal 10 are then dipped into the solvent contained in tank or container to wet the decal and cause at least partial loosening or dissolution of the layer of soluble glue 14 of the decal. Following sufficient loosening or dissolution of the layer of glue 14, member 19 and supported decal 10 are removed from ythe solvent and backing paper 11 is removed from the remainder of the decal as by stripping such paper therefrom.

Following the step outlined above, member 19 and the remaining layers of decal 10 which are still supported against surface 20 of such member by said vacuum, are disposed against the annular rim 18 of member 16 as shown in FIG. 2. Decal 10 is thus positioned above the inner or concave surface of article or dish 15 and is disposed in such position with the design or decoration 13 thereon facing said inner surface of article 15 and with the center of the transfer film 12 of the decal generally coinciding with the center of such inner surface.

Having positioned said items as described above, the

vacuum or negative pressure applied through member 19 to transfer film 12 is terminated, and vacuum or negative pressure is applied through conduits 23 and 22 to cavity 17 in member 16. Such vacuum draws downwardly on transfer film 12 and design 13 of decal 10 and, if pressurized fiuid at higher than atmospheric pressure is not being employed, air at atmospheric pressure iiows through passage 19a to press against the back of transfer film 12 at such time.

During the continued application of said vacuum to cavity 17, air at atmospheric pressure supplied through passage 19a or, if an aeriform fluid at a higher pressure is supplied to passage 19a as previously mentioned, such higher pressure fluid will cause transfer film 12 to be blown progressively radially outward from the center thereof and to stretch or balloon so that design 13 and subsequently transfer film 12 are pressed into firm contact with said inner surface of article 15. During further continued application of vacuum to cavity 17, transfer film 12 will progressively be smoothly spread over the entire inner surface of article 15 by the action of the air or other pressurized fluid owing downwardly through passage 19a and further stretching or ballooning transfer film 12 in a direction from the center thereof radially outward from such center toward and over the upper rim or lip of article 15 in a substantially uniform manner. Thus, transfer film 12 and design 13 are transferred or applied to the inner surface of article 15 with no blisters or wrinkles in such film where it contacts the curved and sloping portions of said inner surface. Member 19 may then be removed, and the continued application of vacuum through conduits 22 and 23 to cavity 17, and such removal of member `19 during the continued application of said vacuum, completes the application of transfer film 12 to the inner or concave surface of article 15. The decorated dish 15 is then removed from cavity 17 and run through a lehr or oven where the elevated temperatures oxidize or evaporate the transfer film leaving only the decal design or decoration 13 on the inner surface of dish 15.

As previously mentioned, for the purpose of causing the transfer of transfer film 12 and decoration 13 to the surface of an article to be decorated, vacuum alone can be supplied to cavity 17 while passage 19a in member 19 is open to atmosphere; vacuum can be supplied to cavity 17 while pressurized aeriform fluid is supplied through conduits 27 and 26 to passage 19a or, as a further alternative, passage 16a in member 16 can be open to atmosphere while said pressurized aeriform fluid is supplied to passage 19a. Additional pressurized iiuid can also be supplied through passage 19b to channels 20a and 20h if found desirable or expedient to do so.

Although there is herein shown and described in detail only one example of the practice of the method disclosed, it will be understood that such is not to be considered in any way limiting but that the protection sought for the invention disclosed is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of applying a transfer film of a decal to a surface of an article to be decorated and without wrinkles or blisters in said transfer film following the application of such film to such surface, such method comprlsing;

(a) disposing said article in a first member including an annular rim surrounding a cavity embodied in said member, such cavity having a depth and perimeter larger than the corresponding portions of said article, such member also embodying a passage extending through the member and into said cavity, and said article being disposed in such cavity with said surface to be decorated facing the entrance to the cavity;

(b) providing a decal including, in layers, a backing paper, a stretchable transfer film having a design on a portion of one surface of such film, and a soluble glue between said one surface of the transfer film and the surface of said backing paper facing said design and film, and said backing paper and transfer film having an area larger than the area of said entrance to said cavity in said first member;

(c) disposing against the exposed side of said transferl film, in a hermetic relationship therewith, a generally fiat surface of a second member including a rim portion complemental to said rim of said first member;

(d) applying vacuum through said second member to the surface of the transfer film contacting said fiat surface of such member to support the decal upon such fiat surface;

(e) dipping said second member and said decal in a solvent to loosen said soluble lglue of such decal;

(f) removing said second member and decal from said water, and disposing said rim portion of such second member and a corresponding portion of such decal against said annular rim of said first member; and

(g) terminating said vacuum applied through said second member to said surface of the transfer film, and supplying vacuum through said first member and to said cavity therein to draw said transfer film and said design thereon away from said fiat surface of said second member and press such film and design against said surface of said article to be decorated.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 and further including supplying pressurized fluid through said second member, substantially simultaneously with said application of said vacuum, to assist the transfer of said transfer film and said design to said surface of said article.

3. The method of transferring the transfer lfilm of a decal to the inner surface of a dish without wrinkles or blisters in the areas of the transfer film 'which contact the curved and sloping portions of said inner surface following said transferring of said film, such method comprising, v

(a) providing a pair of first and second complemental members having rims which are cooperatively positional in a face-to-face hermetic relationship with one another to form an enclosed hermetic cavity having a depth and perimeter larger than and generally corresponding to the corresponding portions of said dish, the second of said members having a generally fiat surface defining the limits of the larger end of said cavity and said first member embodying a passage extending through such member and opening into said cavity, said second member embodying a first passage extending through said member and opening into said cavity at approximately the center of said fiat surface of such second member and a second passage extending through the second member and opening into at least one annular channel in said fiat surface of such member and generally 55 uniformly surrounding said first passage in such member;

(b) disposing said dish in said cavity with the bottom outer surface of such dish facing and generally centered in the smaller end of said cavity;

(c) providing a decal including, in layers, a backing paper, a transfer film having a design on a portion of one surface of such film, and a soluble glue between said one surface of the transfer film and the surface of said backing paper facing said design and film, and said transfer film being stretchable and having a diameter larger than the diameter of said larger end of said cavity in said first member;

(d) disposing said fiat surface of said second member against the exposed side of said transfer film in a hermetic relationship therewith, and applying vacuum through said second passage in said second member to the surface of the transfer film contacting the flat surface of the second member to support said decal upon such fiat surface;

(e) temporarily dipping said second member and said decal in a solvent to dissolve said soluble glue;

(f) disposing said rims of said first and second members in a facing relationship with a rim portion of said transfer film between said rims and in contact therewith;

(g) discontinuing said application of vacuum through said second passage in said sceond member and to said surface of the transfer film while applying vacuum through said passage in said first member to draw said transfer film away from said fiat surface of the second member and transfer such film and design to said inner surface of said dish; and

(h) thereafter separating said first and second members to remove said dish from said cavity and said transfer film from the rims of such members in preparation for transferring another decal to the inner surface of another dish.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3 and further including supplying, substantially simultaneously with said application of said vacuum through said passage in said first member, pressurized aeriform fluid through said first passage in said second member to thereby assist the transfer of said transfer film and said design to said inner surface of said dish.

5. The method in accordance with claim 3 and in which at least a portion of at least one of said rims of said first and second members is provided with an annular gasket of a resilient hermetic material to attain substantially optimum hermetic contact with the surfaces of said transfer film.

6. The method in accordance with claim 4 and in which at least a portion of at least one of said rims of said first and second members is provided with an annular gasket of a resilient hermetic material to attain substantially optimum hermetic contact with the surfaces of said transfer film.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,458,864 l/1949 Lindsay 156--285X 3,483,059 12/1969 Dinter 156--285X FOREIGN PATENTS 555,219 4/1958 Canada 156-285 OTHER REFERENCES Penoyer, IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 9, No. 10, March 1967.

LELAND A. SEBASTIAN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

